Malaysian cooking workshop uitgesteld

Co-oking will receive Suzanna Nik Salieh, a passionate Malaysian cook in June for a workshop. Discover her story by reading her interview below and come and share with her the Malaysian cuisine experience ! Booking available on Eventbrite.

Co-oking : How did you learn to cook ?

Suziana :I started cooking when I was very young. My mother has a huge talent for cooking and she mostly entertained her family and friends with her cuisine. I remembered helping her in the kitchen preparing all sorts of food (whether I liked it or not ! hahaha). My mother, who was an educator, also ran a catering business from home as her third income. So you see, I received my ‘training’ firsthand from her ! Frankly, I come from a family where food is considered as one source of income. My uncles, for example, apart from having their own regular 9-5 jobs, they also have their own restaurants in different parts of Malaysia and ventured into the cuisine industry since 1990.

Being a Malaysian, food is a crucial element as means of communication, showing respect, tolerance, empathy and kindness towards one another. We mostly express ourselves and connect with each other through food. That is why there is no limit when it comes to Malaysian cuisine. Furthermore, for someone like myself who love to experiment and create new recipes, there is no such thing as sticking to one type of food/cuisine. My love for food grow even more after I started doing massive travelling and living on my own. Throughout my life journey, I then realised that you’re able to grasp and understand other people’s culture, way of life and even by mutual understanding just by observing how and what kind of food they prepare and serve. Food is a silent way of communication, yet very effective and open new doors and possibilities…

C : What makes Malaysian cooking special ?S :Malaysia is very diverse and consists of different races and different cultures mixed with different types of religion. There are 3 main ethnicities in Malaysia ; Malay, Chinese and Indian. Malaysian cuisine not only speak about each traditional culture and background, but also the fusion between them ! Malaysian cuisine also reflexes the heart and soul of its people – which I scarcely see anywhere else in the world…. That, for me, is very unique !

C :Why do you like to give workshops ?S :Workshop is a very effective way of communicating and sharing my knowledge with others. I’m able to receive direct interaction with others and seeing people enjoy and having fun with what I share with them, is pure bliss ! After all, sharing is caring.

C : What are we going to cook on the 22nd of May ?S :For this workshop, we’ll be preparing the famous Tomato rice, with chicken in red sauce and pickled vegetables.